Ciaran Clark | Page 2 | Vital Football

Ciaran Clark

Personally I think that Cieran Clark is/was at least the equal of Tommy Elphick and/or James Chester.

He's playing in a very good championship team, who next season will be strutting their stuff in the premier league again.

It was a very good move for him. The Newcastle support seems to have warmed to him, and he's turning in some impressive performances.

Having seen Cieran from his days playing in the youth team I'd always like him, thought him a decent central defender in the making, but he never seemed to really push on.

A move away was probably the best thing that could happen to him, and it looks as if he's grasped the opportunity handed to him by Rafa, and could well go from strength to strength up on Tyneside.

Good Luck to him.
 
Another week and he's been good again. I reckon he's winning at least 95% of tackles and is very impressive in the air.

Yes it may be his level but with a fresh start under his belt that may have blown away the cobwebs, there could yet be greater things coming from the lad.

Ive always said that certain players fit certain clubs like a glove but he's been no worse than some of the premier league calibre players we've had over the past 10 years or so. Early days of course but im sure this thread will be a work in progress.....
 
As a centre back I have never really rated Clark, I have always considered him to have been more of a defensive midfielder, who, simply because of his height and heading ability, was converted to fill a gap in the youth team squad.
I really do feel sorry for him, as I think if he had of been left as a DM and allowed to develop, what I see as his natural game, he may well have ended up playing for one of the European giants, winning league and cups by the bucketload.
 
1958Villan - 24/10/2016 01:12

As a centre back I have never really rated Clark, I have always considered him to have been more of a defensive midfielder, who, simply because of his height and heading ability, was converted to fill a gap in the youth team squad.
I really do feel sorry for him, as I think if he had of been left as a DM and allowed to develop, what I see as his natural game, he may well have ended up playing for one of the European giants, winning league and cups by the bucketload.
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:37: For me it's like this we had two defenders come through the juniors and tbh I do feel we kept the right one imo I maybe wrong but I really do think next season you will see the real ciaran.
 
holtelower - 17/10/2016 09:03

Clark is what he is , a championship level at best defender who, if good players arecaround him, can hold his own

As soon as he either loses those good players, or, comes up against better players, he crumbles.

From a Villa point of view, may, and the word is - may - have done us a job this year but i doubt it.

From Newcastles view, an adequate squad player probably worth the 5m to cover injuries, but no more than that
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I am not too sorry to see him leave I think he needed a change but your case above has been similar to how I've felt about 95% of the players in the past 5 years. Individually decent players but when they're surrounded by others of a weaker or similar ability they struggle. Clark was one of those who was far better than he was made out to be.

Clark needed a real leader beside him and some proper coaching, Rafa is a proper coach so I think we'll all be surprised at how much this guy might improve.
 
I think, like gator, that he'd probably have made a decent midfielder. I was at the Villa/Arsenal game in November 2010 and I'm pretty sure he played in the middle of the park that day from where he scored a couple of excellent goals. (We still lost, 4-2!)
When he was being interviewed after the Villa/Newcastle game he didn't come across as bitter. He seems a nice sort of guy and, from an Irish point of view, I hope he does well, except of course when he's playing us.
 
For the last couple of seasons he was pretty shocking at times for us.

Always felt him too weak against a big CF and there's always a horrendous mistake in him itching to get out.

When we got £5m for him I couldn't believe it. Another one I thought we would end up having to give away.

Fair play to him if he's stepped it up. Sometimes you need a move to regain focus.

I do think out of him and Baker, if Baker can actually stay injury free we have kept the better one of the two but staying injury free is the big IF.
 
When playing for us Clark was prone to going to ground, not only too quickly but so often at the wrong times.
As long ago as last summer, at the Euro's, he scored a cracker of a header, unfortunately in the wrong net, where he had to stoop so low his head met the ball below waist height. To me, any natural defender would have automatically got a foot underneath the ball and cleared it skywards.
I have no animosity for Clark and only wish him well, in fact, as I have stated on several occasions over the seasons, I have had great symphony for Clark because I truly believe he has been played out of his natural position.
 
Didn't seem to fit the bill for us but I was talking to a Toon fan in the Lake District and he was raving about him. Reckons they've got a bargain.
 
Well, here we are some three weeks after I first pointed out Clark's performances and it's starting to get mentioned by others now on the usual social media outlets as well as in the press.

Not only has he not put a foot wrong but he's now starting to bomb forward and help defence quickly turn into attack whilst retaining the ball. None of this hoof ball stuff that others tend to try either.

I know it's early days and all that still with plenty of games to go but I just cant see where his drop will come although on saying this, I hope I haven't jinxed anything.
 
Decent team, top class manager. It works wonders! Clark's always had the enthusiasm to succeed; now he's taking the opportunity, with some help from Rafa.
 
He is playing at his level right now . He will be either replaced in the summer by Rafa or found wanting again at PL level
 
Not quite sure why we're getting updates of how Clark is doing, it's not like he was ever a big or important player for us. Maybe Newcastle have been so starved of good centre halves that they actually think he's something special? Personally I was brought up watching a team that's had the likes of McGrath, Teale, Southgate, Ehiogh, Melberg and Laursen so Clark never looked anything like a good class of defender. Even some of the lesser guys like Cahill, Ridgewell, Cuellar and Davies are ahead of him in my eyes. If you want to update us on how well Newcastle are doing then at least pick someone I'd be interested in. Mitrovic looks a good player to my outside viewpoint, what's he like?
 
Yes, Baker has been very good since returning to the starting line up. Always promised so much but a mixture of terrible luck with injuries and occasional lack of brain activity hampered him. Seems his year at Bristol did him good as he's not as reckless as he once was.
 
Silhillvilla - 6/11/2016 19:42

Bristol were desperate to make the move permanent. Thankfully he came back .
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He signed a 4 year contract the day before he went to Bristol , which was a bit bizarre so i don't think he was ever going to leave .
 
JW85 - 6/11/2016 19:12

Not quite sure why we're getting updates of how Clark is doing, it's not like he was ever a big or important player for us. Maybe Newcastle have been so starved of good centre halves that they actually think he's something special? Personally I was brought up watching a team that's had the likes of McGrath, Teale, Southgate, Ehiogh, Melberg and Laursen so Clark never looked anything like a good class of defender. Even some of the lesser guys like Cahill, Ridgewell, Cuellar and Davies are ahead of him in my eyes. If you want to update us on how well Newcastle are doing then at least pick someone I'd be interested in. Mitrovic looks a good player to my outside viewpoint, what's he like?
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To be truthful I just thought it was an excuse for some decent multi-forum debate rather than the old skool tit for tat that ruins places with some honest views on a player we'd signed from you in Clark.

As for Mitrovic. Well I could say that he's like what has been insinuated in the press? However that would be too stereotypical and off the mark.

He IS, like a box of fireworks that comes across like his fuse is always exposed and in danger of some days it being set off but why wouldn't he when his homeland has been in wars or had their issues with the Croats and what not. Watch Serbia the next time they're on Sky and all the team are a bunch of nutters.

Having said all this though, Mitrovic is a young bloke who had to adapt to the English game and he has. For me, he is going to be some target man and in my opinion he needs a partner rather than an attacking midfielder that bombs on.

Rafa has said that he'll play with 2 strikers at some point but now isn't the right time and you'll be hard pressed to find anyone that will argue against that.

Mitrovic has an aura about him because when he's involved or comes on as sub, he lifts the place and offers more than goals. He's a catalyst for extra effort, extra enthusiasm and he makes things happen.

He was a 1 in 4 striker in his debut premier season and this time round is 1 in 2 with a trademark machine gun goal celebration to boot.

He is so iconic that a song was made about him after a game or 2 which was later picked up by a Wigan fan on youtube and changed to the Will Griggs on fire one before Sky latched onto it and changed history. We're not a bitter lot as it's still sung with the player even joining in now.

Then.
[youtube=1hWB8rVQIKA]


Now.
[youtube=Q-2VDuOy778]

 
I too feel we kept the right one in Baker. We couldn't keep both so for me Baker is more a centre back than Clark. He really seems to have grown of age this season and is forming a good partnership with James Chester.
 
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